Image forming method and apparatus

Abstract

An image forming method and apparatus, the image forming method including: requesting networked image forming apparatuses to perform a user authorization; receiving account information corresponding to the user authorization request, from one of the image forming apparatuses; determining whether to perform an image forming operation, based on the received account information; and performing the predetermined image forming operation, according to the determination.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An image forming method comprising:
 a image forming apparatus requests a networked image forming apparatuses to perform a user authorization; 
 the image forming apparatus requesting the user authorization receives account information corresponding to the user authorization request, from the networked image forming apparatus which performs the user authorization successfully, wherein the account information is maintained by the networked image forming apparatus; 
 determining whether to perform an image forming operation, based on the received account information; and 
 performing the image forming operation, according to the determination; 
 updating the received account information, based on the performance of the image forming operation; 
 wherein the network image forming apparatus transmits the account information only upon a successful user authorization. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining of whether to perform the image forming operation is based on at least one of user information, a usable image forming device, a type of image forming operation, and a usable limit, which is included in the account information. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the requesting of the image forming apparatuses to perform the user authorization comprises unicasting, broadcasting, or multicasting a user authorization request, using an established IP address. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein all of the networked image forming apparatuses perform the user authorization, by unicasting, broadcasting, or multicasting user information corresponding to the account information. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: registering a user identification (ID) using user account information corresponding to the user authorization. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: displaying whether the account information is received. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the displaying comprises displaying a failure indication, if the account information is not received. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the displaying comprises: identifying an image forming apparatus that transmitted the account information, if the account information is received. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the updating of the received account information comprises: changing the received account information, according to the performance of the image forming operation. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising requesting that the image forming apparatus, which transmitted the account information, delete the account information, when the image forming operation ends. 
     
     
       11. An image forming apparatus comprising:
 a user authorization unit to request that a networked image forming apparatuses perform a user authorization; 
 a network interface unit to receive account information corresponding to the user authorization request, from the networked image forming apparatus which performs the user authorization successfully, wherein the account information is maintained by the networked image forming apparatus; 
 an operation determination unit to determine whether to perform an image forming operation, based on the received account information; and 
 an operation performing unit to selectively perform the image forming operation, according to the determination; 
 an account information administration unit to update the received account information, based the performance of the image forming operation; 
 wherein the network image forming apparatus transmits the account information only upon a successful user authorization. 
 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the received account information comprises at least one of user information, a usable image forming device, a permitted image forming operation, and a usable limit. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the user authorization unit unicasts, broadcasts, or multicasts the user authorization request, using an established IP address. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the user authorization unit unicasts, broadcasts, or multicasts the user authorization request, to the image forming apparatuses. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising: a display unit to display whether the account information is received. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the display unit displays a failure indication, if the account information is not received. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the display unit identifies the image forming apparatus that transmitted the account information, if the account information is received. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the account information administration unit changes an operation amount of the received account information, based on the performance of the image forming operation. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the account information administration unit, if the image forming operation ends, requests that the image forming apparatus, which transmitted the account information, deletes the account information, when image forming operation ends. 
     
     
       20. An image forming method comprising:
 transmitting user information from a first networked image forming apparatus and an authorization request to a second networked image forming apparatus that maintains account information that corresponds to the user information; 
 performing a user authorization using the second image forming apparatus; 
 sending the account information from the second image forming apparatus to the first image forming apparatus when the second image forming apparatus performs the user authorization successfully; 
 determining whether to perform an image forming operation, using the received account information; and 
 performing the image forming operation, according to the determination; 
 updating the received account information, based on the performance of the image forming operation; 
 wherein the second network image forming apparatus transmits the account information only upon a successful user authorization. 
 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 20 , wherein the transmitting of the user information comprises transmitting the user information to a plurality of networked image forming apparatuses. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 20 , wherein the account information comprises a usable image forming device, a usable image forming operation, and a usage limit.